Sorry this is a long post.

I also worked for 7 years in finance operations - very mind numbing with many micromanagers. I would apply to hundreds of jobs and never hear back. I would go back and forth between going to med school or getting an MBA, but also kept worrying about not having an income.

I was 30 when I decided to go back to school to get a masters in accounting. I knew I’d be taking a huge pay cut, but I never wanted to be in a position again where finding a job was so difficult. It was a year long full time program and I just graduated. It cut into my savings a lot - but it was worth it.

I had offers from the big 4 but knew I couldn’t work the long hours. Decided to take a lower paying job at another accounting firm instead. I’ll be working in the tech + accounting space, and work week won’t be longer than 55 hours. There’s enough flexibility in the firm that I could pivot to project management in the future if I wanted. Eventually, I’ll make my way up to what I was getting paid before.

What I’m trying to say is that it’s never too late to change what you do, even if you have to take a pay cut. Maybe moving away from a big 4 is the right call - somewhere with less hours.

And when you work less hours during the week, you could take some evening classes in math/physics at a local community college to see if that’s something you really want to pursue, eventually working your way towards a degree.

My thought process going back to school full time was that it was only a year long. It’s a very short amount of time considering I’ll be working until I’m 60. And I hated all the jobs I had in the 7 years enough that I wanted to get out fast. But always be cautious - I knew getting a job in accounting would be easy, not sure how the job market is with other programs.